Kite



R. ZACHARY Nov. 7, 1961 KITE Filed Aug. 13, 1959 INVENTOR REX ZCHAR Y ATTORNEY irc States 'Dhis invention generally relates to kite construction, and is more particularly directed towards a kite which may -be conveniently formed from a single sheet of paper, cardboard or the like.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a kite which may be formed entirely from a single sheet of flexible material without requiring the addition o'f stiffening members, vad'hesives or other items normally required for kite construction.

Another object of this invention is to provide a kite of the oharacter described which has Superior lift characteristics whereby the kite is capable of extremely long play outs in even minimum wind conditions.

A fu-rther object of the invention is to provide a kite of |the type described in which the bridle may be simply attached to opposed portions of the kite with the bridle length being properly correlated 'to the kite size for Optimum flight characteristics.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a kite in which the tail may likewise be formed of the same inexpensive material as the body of the kite.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a kite as above described in which a fiat sheet of paper 4 or the like may be folded or creased in a novel manner to produce the desired lift.

The invention pos-sesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawing and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of the kite of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a rear perspective view thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the kite when the latter is in a fiat folded condition;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the blan'k from which the kite may be formed.

As hereinabove stated, the kite of the instant invention is ch'aracterized by its ability to be form-retaining and exhibit superior fiight characteristics notwithstanding the fact that it is formed completely from a sheet or b'lank of fiexible material. As best illustrated in FIG- URE 4 of the drawing, the kite may be formed from a blan'k 12 of paper or similar material of generally square configuration, thus providing edges 13, 14, 16, and 17. Sho'wn on the blank 12 in FIGURE 4 vare a plurality of fold or crease lines, those shown as dash-dot lines indicating that the material is folded upwardly and the dotted lines indicating a contra 'or down-Ward fold. It will be understood that these lines may, if desired, be printed on the blank, together with suitable instructions, for assisting the user in producing the kite.

To form the kite from the b-l-ank 12, the material is first folded upwardly along a diagonal fold line 18 with the edges 13 and 14 positioned immediately adjacent the edges 16 and 17 respectively. After this initial fold, each half of the blank is then folded in the opposite direction along a fold line 21, such line extending from a front corner 22 at the juncture of edges 14 and 17 to' a point 23 along the edge 13A and 16, such point being closer to Patented Nov. 7, 1961 the side corners 26 and 27 than to the rear corner 28, and in any event such a fold will place the edges 14 and 17 in alignment with the center fold 18. For purpose of explanation, the material between fold lines 18 and 21 `on each side of the central fold 18 may be termed the body portions 31 of the kite, and the material between the lines 21 and the edges 14 and 17 respectively the Wing portions 32. These latter portions are further provided with tabs 33 formed by folding the portion of the blank adjacent the co'rners 26 and 27 along fold lines 34 until a portion of the edges 13 and 16 adjacent said corners are placed in alignment with the fold lines 21.

By mere'ly creasing the material in the manner above described, the kite shown in the first three figures of the drawing will be produced. Preferably, and as shown in FIGURE 3, the blank is creased into a completely fiat form with the upper surfaces of the body portions 31 in contiguous relation, the under surfaces of wings 32 against the under surfaces of the body, and the upper surfaces of the tabs 33 against the upper wing surfaces. When thus creased and folded, the material at the front and rear corners 22 and 28 may be cut away as illustrated at 41 and 42 respectively.

As wi'l'l be understood, the folding of the material in the manner just described will lend rigidity thereto, but the 'kite will be capable of moving substantially between its fiat condition shown in FIGURE 4, and its fully creased and folded condition as shown in FIGURE 3. This movement occurs during the flying of the kite, thereby valtering the lift and other flight characteristics depending on wind conditions, etc.

A brid'le 46 is utilized in such 'a manner as to permit the just described movement of the respective kite portions. The bridle is formed of thread or light weight string and has its ends secured through ho'les 47 punched or otherwise formed along the fold lines 34 adjacent the leading edges 14 and 17 of the wings. The length of the bridle is extremely important, and as will be noticed, the brid'le, when taut will extend to the front corner 22 of the kite whereat a fiying thread or string 48 may be tied thereto.

When the kite is airlborne, if it appears to be losing a'ltitude, pulling the string 48 will cause the brid'le to fiatten out the body portions 31 and thereby increase the lift. For reasons of stability, a tail 51 is preferably used, and this tail may be formed of the same material as the kite and tied to |the latter through a hole 52 formed adjacent the rear corner of the kite along fold line 18.

It will thus be seen that the kite of the instant invention may be constructed at a minimum cost, yet in practice, the kite 'has fiovvn higher and farther than conventionally constructed kites, even under below normal wind conditions.

What is olaimed is:

1`. A kite comprising a unitary sheet of generally rectangular flexible material 'folded along a diagonal to provide adjacent body portions, and each of said body portions being folded in a contra direction to provide Wing portions of generally triangular configuration.

2. A kite `as set forth in claim 1 in which said body portions and said 'Wing portions all merge 'at 'a common corner of said sheet, and in which each of said vving portions are provided with triangular tabs adjacent 'a corner thereof, said tabs being folded in the same direction as said body portions.

3. A kite consisting of a substantially square sheet of foldable flexible material said sheet being folded upwardly about a diagonal to define a V-shaped configuration said Sheet on each side of said diagonal being folded downwardly along a line extending from an end of said diagonal to a medial portion of an edge of said Sheet extending from 'opposite end of said diagonal,

and said sheet being further folded up-Wardly along a line extending from each of said rnedial portions to a medial portion of the edges 'of the sheet to define tabs.

4. A kite as set forth in clairn 3 including bridlereceiving means positioned on each of Said lines on which said tabs are folded.

5. A kite oomprising a generally rectangular sheet of flexible material having first, second, third and fourth edges, said sheet being folded upwardly about a diagonal line extending between the juncture of said first and fourth edges and said second and third edges, said upwardly folded portions being folded downwardly along winglines extending from the juncture of said first and fourth edges to a point along said second and third edges respectively, said lines being positioned so that when the sheet is creased flat said first and fourth edges Will be adjacent said diagonal fold line, and the corner portions of said sheet defined by the juncture of the first and second edges and the third and fourth edges being respectively folded upwardly along tab fold lines in such a manner that ythe portions of the second and third edges so folded are adjacent the respective Wing fold lines When the sheet is creased fiat.

6. A device as set forth in claim 5 including a bridle 4 having its ends connected to said sheet adjacent said first and fourth edges on said tab fold lines With the medial portion of the bridle extending to said juncture of the first and fourth edges When the sheet is creased flat.

7. A blank for production of a kite comprising a generally square flat sheet of flexible material, indieia on a surface of said sheet consisting of fold lines, one of said fold lines lying on a diagonal of said she-et, each half of said sheet on opposite sides of said diagonal having a second fold line extending from adjacent an end of said diagonal to a medial portion of an opposed edge to define triangular wings, and the outermost Corners of said Wings having third fold lines to provide Wing tabs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 865,419 Moorhead Sept. 10, 1907 2,154,487 Bonnell Apr. 18, 1939 2,432,297 DOWd Dec. 9, 1947 2,460,959` Wills Feb. 8, 1949 2,75l,172 Rogallo et al. June 19, 1956 

